Waveguide writing in chalcogenide glasses by a train of femtosecond laser pulses

• Published in: Optical materials Vol. 17; no. 3; pp. 379 - 386
• Main Authors: Efimov, O.M, Glebov, L.B, Richardson, K.A, Van Stryland, E, Cardinal, T, Park, S.H, Couzi, M, Brunéel, J.L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.08.2001; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Chalcogenide; Circuit properties; Electric, optical and optoelectronic circuits; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Glass; Glasses, quartz; Integrated optics. Optical fibers and wave guides; Optical and optoelectronic circuits; Optical materials; Optical waveguides and couplers; Optics; Photo-induced; Physics; Raman; Waveguide writing; Chalcogenide; Raman; Photo-induced; Waveguide writing; Glass; Laser writing; Raman spectra; Arsenic sulfides; Binary compounds; Photoinduced effect; Infrared radiation; Optical materials; Experimental study; Absorption coefficients; Optical waveguides; Chalcogenide glasses
• ISSN: 0925-3467; 1873-1252
• DOI: 10.1016/S0925-3467(01)00062-3

Waveguide writing using a train of femtosecond laser pulses at 850 nm, in the transparent spectral region of bulk As 40S 60 glasses is reported. Waveguides were written by translating the glass sample along the optical axis of a strongly focussed laser beam. Refractive index variation, linear absorption spectra, and Raman spectra of the exposed region were measured. The chemical mechanism responsible for the index variation has been correlated to a breakage of the glass' As–S bonds and formation of As–As and S–S bonds and increase of the “disorder” of the glass network. The nonlinear optical origin leading to this phenomenon has been shown, and possible mechanisms are discussed.